Our Take: DR sports staff reacts to post-blowout buzz

Brian Harmon, sports editor: Reading the end-of-the-world reactions to the Bloomington South-Arlington game, one thought comes to mind: Give me a break! Bloomington South coach Larry Winters should not be “ashamed,” or drawn-and-quartered as many across the state have suggested. Were his nine players — the only nine players he brought to the game since his JV squad played a tourney over the weekend — not supposed to play defense? Winters has told various media outlets that if he had asked his girls to stop trying against Arlington, that would have been even more embarrassing to the Knights. And he’s right. There is blame to go around — but it should be directed at whatever political parties or socioeconomic factors you’d like to implicate for the current state of the Indianapolis Public Schools system. When a school is in such terrible shape that it’s taken over by the state and handed off to a private management company, no capable student-athlete or their family with any sense is going to continue to send their child there. At least Arlington wasn’t beat down by a private school. Then, we’d really have something to rail against. Wait … that already happens in football every year.

Grant Freking, sportswriter: The issue at the heart of the 107-2 beat down Bloomington South imposed upon Arlington Tuesday night isn’t the game, but the resulting overreaction. To the untrained eye, the result appears cruel and unusual. But for those choosing to react with vigor, calling for Bloomington South coach Barry Winters’ job, I ask you this: Did you attend the game? When I first saw the Arlington-Bloomington South score Tuesday night, it reminded of a game I witnessed last February. I remember sitting in the stands — at Arlington, ironically — as the Mt. Vernon girls basketball team played its sectional semifinal game against Howe, a struggling program that was overmatched against most of its opponents all season. At halftime, the score read 51-1 in favor of the future 3A state runner-ups. The Marauders didn’t run up the score, and the Hornets didn’t give up at any point. It was simply a lose-lose situation. Maybe a running clock would’ve eased Howe’s pain, maybe not. But I can’t say whether Arlington coach Ebony Jackson should be disappointed with how Bloomington South went about its business. And I can’t say whether Winters tried to hang 100 on the Golden Knights. I wasn’t there.